Golf courses require a considerable amount of space in order to lay out the course and it requires a great deal of time in order to play the game of golf. As a consequence of the space and time required, golf has become an increasingly expensive and inaccessible game; especially in urban and suburban areas where golfers often are unable to gain access to courses at reasonable rates and during reasonable hours of play. The present invention is designed to provide an accessible, less time consuming, more economical and exciting alternative to conventional golf by providing a hybrid game which will test conventional golf shot making skills but be played on a dramatically different course.
A ready means of computer scoring the game through the use of bar coded golf balls is also included and the accuracy and immediacy of scoring will lead to excitement with scoring and record-keeping options unavailable in conventional golf. A plurality of tees are located about a single golf green and hole and the ball is driven from the tees in succession. The player advances from one tea to another hitting the ball different distances each time. One or more putting greens are provided so that the player can include a putting game a long with progressive shot making.
None of the prior art patents disclose computer scoring via scanner record-keeping or timing of the shot-making in order to keep the game fast paced.
The prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,511 to Fitzgerald which discloses a Portable Miniature Golf Game with a circular central fairway. The game is not a full size version of golf nor does it provide for computer scoring and record-keeping and all of the holes are uniform but it does disclose the concept of the central point for all holes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,300 to Magnuson discloses a compact golf course comprising a set of playing areas surrounding a set of elongated target fairway areas disposed at an angle to each other.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,832 to Johnson which relates to a Method of Playing a Golf Game which includes approach greens on a forward fairway, consecutively numbered teeing positions and a rearward putting area, all of which require more space than the present invention and none of which disclose the concept of a central green with computer scoring and recording through the use of scanners on both the tees and the green.
Other patents of interest include U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,210 to Brandell on a golf putting device and U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,039 to Barricks which discloses a locating system for sports object wherein the user carries an r.f. transmitter and the sport object or ball has a conductive stripe thereon.